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REPORT <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />July 25, 2016 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />Response to Civil Grand Jury Report: "BODY CAMERAS - THE REEL TRUTH" <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />By motion, approve the City's response to the May 24th, 2016 Grand Jury Report <br />entitled "BODY CAMERAS - THE REEL TRUTH" as designated in Attachment 1 and <br />authorize the Mayor to execute and transmit Attachment 1 <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />On May 24th, 2016, the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury filed a report containing <br />findings and recommendations regarding the status of local law enforcement’s use of <br />officer body-worn cameras. The report includes the Redwood City Police Department. <br />As one of the agencies affected by the Grand Jury Report, the City is required to <br />prepare a response to the recommendations, consider the response at a public <br />meeting, and submit the response by August 24th, 2016. <br /> <br />The Grand Jury Report examines the use, or lack thereof, of officer body-worn cameras <br />by all sixteen independent police departments that provide services within San Mateo <br />County, as well as the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The discussion includes <br />information regarding the advantages and disadvantages of body-worn cameras, the <br />reasons a majority of law enforcement agencies in San Mateo County have not yet <br />adopted the use of body-worn cameras, a summary of three available body-worn <br />camera systems and associated costs, a sampling of policies for their use, and <br />identifies privacy and civil rights issues related to the use of body-worn cameras. <br /> <br />The Grand Jury Report recommendations are outlined in the response letter attached to <br />this staff report. <br /> <br />ANALYSIS <br />Staff has reviewed the Grand Jury’s findings and recommendations and has prepared a <br />letter for the Mayor’s signature that responds to the Grand Jury Report. The response <br />demonstrates the City is supportive of the responsible implementation of officer body- <br />worn cameras. <br /> <br />The City is required to respond to two recommendations in the Grand Jury Report. They <br />are: <br />6.1.J. - Page 1